Copper
The metal of electrification. Copper wires the grid, the substation, the busbar and the chip — and it is the single largest mineral input to AI infrastructure.
Copper makes up roughly 82–83% of the mineral mass modeled for AI data centers, mostly in grid transmission and distribution; it also forms chip interconnects, busbars, cold plates and rack cabling.
IEA projects a ~25% supply gap by 2035; prices hit a record near $14,780/t in Sep 2026 as Chile output fell 6.6% in H1 2026 and DR Congo banned concentrate exports.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (thousand metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (thousand metric tons). World total: 980M t. ≈ 43 years at 2025 output.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Copper: key questions
- Where is copper mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are Chile (23%), DR Congo (14%) and Peru (12%) of world mine production. China accounts for about 8%.
- Is copper a critical mineral?
- Copper appears on 9 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is copper in short supply?
- Our supply status: Structural deficit. IEA projects a ~25% supply gap by 2035; prices hit a record near $14,780/t in Sep 2026 as Chile output fell 6.6% in H1 2026 and DR Congo banned concentrate exports.
- Why does copper matter for AI infrastructure?
- Copper makes up roughly 82–83% of the mineral mass modeled for AI data centers, mostly in grid transmission and distribution; it also forms chip interconnects, busbars, cold plates and rack cabling.
Related minerals
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Tin
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